


A Lesson on How to Hurt and Heal

by DarkMrowlidash



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Biting, Body Worship, Cuddling & Snuggling, Multi, Roughness, Size Difference, Spoilers, Teasing, Threesome - F/M/M, VERY mild painplay, probably dubious consent?, what is Cole even, what is wrong with me I never write about flesh people only sexy robots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 03:42:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2798291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkMrowlidash/pseuds/DarkMrowlidash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He needs to know what it means, how it works. Pain hurts, and hurt can't heal, can't help. But that's what he felt, so he must be wrong. Or he doesn't understand. And if he doesn't understand, he will learn. He will get them to teach him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lesson on How to Hurt and Heal

**Author's Note:**

> I could NOT keep this story from writing itself. But I warn you, I refuse to finish it until I finish Inquisition, which I have not, so... don't hang on the edge of your chair or anything.
> 
> This is for all of you people out there who wish you could play with Cole and teach him naughty things too.  
> Enjoy!

  


He knew _immediately_ this was going to be one of _those_ conversations. Sure, he spoke to Cole often enough, out on their adventures, but when they were back at the keep, he usually kept to, well, not to himself, but to his own devices. When the boy went looking to talk _to someone_ , not just do that.. weird _talking at people_ crap that _helps_ them, well...

"Guess who's looking for trouble," Bull said, leaning back in his chair. Cole was padding gently down the tavern's steps, down from who knows where, each step measured as if sparing the stairs his weight. Face hidden under his hat, the boy looked at Bull, then away, then back.

_Definitely one of those conversations._

"The Iron Bull," Cole had gone from the landing of the steps to in front of Bull's chair in the span of a blink. Only familiarity kept the qunari from tensing.

"What's on your mind?" he said, relaxing a bit. Alright, so maybe he'd tensed just _slightly_.

"I want to ask you..." eyes rose up from the floor, strange and staring through Bull and into his chair.

"Let's go outside. This isn't where you want to do this, is it?" Bull said quietly, rising up. It wasn't that Cole had anything to be nervous about, not really, most people couldn't see him, and of those who could, even fewer could remember. But he was always considerate. If they were indeed going to be discussing something awkward, he knew they'd both prefer Bull to speaking into thin air--in private.

One furious set of nods, and they were heading for the battlements.

\---

"Nobody here. Shoot, kid." Bull leaned against the stone, arms crossed over his chest.

"Why do you make her hurt?" Cole asked, lifting his hat, looking Bull dead in the eyes. "You do, and I don't understand why, but I can feel it, even if I try not to. You go away from the others, I know, I know these feelings are not for us, and I don't want to go, I'm not invited, when you don't need my help... I'm learning, I'm more spirit now but more human too, even if they don't believe, I'm me and I want them to trust me--"

Uncrossed arms began waving the halt signal. "Whoa there kid! One ramble at a time, okay? What's this about making her hurt? You talkin' about the Boss?"

"Yes. Yes! You're up the stairs, always late, but she's been waiting for you, eager, and it's not long after that I can feel the pain, I can feel it even though it's far, I can feel so much more now. But it's not **bad** pain. But pain hurts so it's always **bad**! Not this one. This one stings and then melts, like a wound healing, no, there is no wound at all, but the hurt still mends, into something that doesn't hurt at all anymore, it's relief, is it? That's still not right.."

Bull just sort of stared. Yes, he knew what the kid was talking about but judging by the _clear_ confusion in Cole's expression, he wasn't sure that explaining it would even work. Did he even know what sex was?

Ah, well. Best to just be blunt.

"You're talking about when I fuck the Boss. Yeah, I'm sure it hurts, at first. She's a dwarf, and I'm... large. Things gotta... stretch. So yeah, I'm hurting her. But only for a little bit. Then it's _good_."

Cole went silent for a second, rocking back and forth on his heels the way he always did when he was thinking too fast. Bull was caught between smirking and being genuinely concerned as his pace increased. Sometimes he wished he could read minds too. Whatever was in there had to be priceless.

Eventually the spirit came to a conclusion, ceasing mid-rock and fixing his strange eyes on Bull's yet again. "You cause pain, so you can heal it. The healing makes her happy."

Close enough? "Uh... yeah. You could call it that."

Clearing his throat, Bull tried to come up with a joke to patch up this awkwardness, but Cole was speaking again.

"There's something else... after the hurt, and the heal. Everything gets.. bright. The joy of the Chantry mother in hymns. The roaring heat of the battle-feast fires. Bursting like a flameflask. And then settling to the bottom. Breaths race then slow. You are... together. Pretending to be perfect. Until you're too tired."

Bull hoped the grimace he knew his face had twisted into wasn't too frightening. Honestly he had to be more afraid than the boy, at this point. _What a way to put it..._

"That's.. an orgasm. You know, end result of sex? You read minds, and the keep's full of soldiers. You're telling me you've never seen a raunchy daydream or two?"

"Closer, when it's you. You know me, speak to me, teach me, worry about me, _remember me_ . Your thoughts are ringing. When you..." and here he paused like he had to get the words on straight, lip quivering, "have sex... it's.. loud. I've seen sex, a tangle of breathing bodies... I think? Always glimpses, no meaning. And it didn't hurt. I ignored it. They didn't _need_ me."

"But when it's us, you can feel it. Even if you try not to, huh?"

"I'm sorry. But... I want to feel it, too. It feels _wonderful_. I want to learn it. Maybe I can use it to help? I've only ever been whispers, soothing, gentle memories. This heals too, and it is stronger. If I could learn it..."

Cole startled off his feet when Bull barked out a laugh. "Hah! So you're going to go around giving the Inquisition a good time, that's your plan? It'll certainly be great for morale!"

"I want you to show me." One simple statement, and a skinny boy had knocked the wind out of a warrior. "Fragments of images, fragments of feelings. And what you've told me. Still incomplete. I can't use it, can't share what I don't know. Well, I can, but it comes out wrong!"

"You have got to be kidding me." Bull huffed out a breath and knew for sure those pleading eyes were doing nothing of the sort. "Do you--of course you don't realize what you're asking me. And--"

"I shouldn't take advantage of the kid, I shouldn't, but he's asking for it, and he's so _damn cute_ why not have some--" Cole spoke, no, narrated, in a quick and steady mantra.

**"HEY NOW!"** The qunari interrupted before it could get any worse, heat suddenly blasting under his skin. "Leave my dirty thoughts in my head! _Fuck._ You're really serious about this."

_"Please."_ Cole was wringing his hands now, nervous and _so sorry_ but he wasn't ready to give up.

Bull groaned, throwing his head up, horns back. _Why the fuck not._ They could die tomorrow.

"Come on..." he growled, hating and loving his lack of willpower. This was absolutely not okay, and he was already filling up inside with all the worst kinds of anticipation.

\---

_"Nnnnnn!"_ Cole pulled away, momentarily, and squealed, wriggling under the heavy form over him.

"You _cannot_ stay still at all, can you?" Bull let his grin curl a little more, pulling back from where his lips had been teasing at Cole's neck. He'd only stripped the boy of his shirt and hat, mashed into a messy pile at the side of the Boss's bed, and he was still wearing all of his--admittedly minimal--clothing.

"Ah! Ah..." his gasping breath was out of control, chest rising and falling, typically pale skin flushed over with pink. But even in his state, now and then he'd speak, well, _ramble_ , clearly, as if the body and the spirit were interpreting things separately. _Probably were._ "I've never _felt_ this much!!" he cried out, sobbing and writhing, "I'm usually everywhere. Spread out but you are _making me_ , making me be _here_ , just here, soaking me up. Even when I fight I'm not just _there_ , I'm where I _need to be_ , but never _just there_ \--AHHH!"

"Mmm-hmm, kid.." Bull soothed against his ear, as he came back out of another little tease, a harmless nibble under Cole's jaw. "So what you're sayin', is.. I'm too much for you. Want me to stop?"

"NO!" Cole _shouted_ , forgetting any sort of restraint. "I still don't know how you.. make it hurt and heal. I need to know!" Thin fingers splayed up over firm gray shoulders, tugging down insistently.

"Pleasure and pain... they're really not as separate as you think they are. I mean, the way you deal with them, they probably have been. But.. ah let me just show you."

Tracing a finger along the boy's face, Bull tilted his head over, exposing his neck again, this time enough of it, a fine expanse to claim. He licked at the skin, tasted the sweat, and then bit down, pulling the flesh, sucking at the bite. Cole absolutely _howled_ , hands clutching at anything they could grab. When Bull came up enough to see Cole's eyes swimming in the most confused pleasure he was _taken_ \--maybe the boy was a demon after all--because he _had_ to kiss him and he did, rough and harsh, biting at his lower lip and pulling it just the same. Making it sting _so good_. He knew what this would be doing to him.

Still wanted to hear it though.

He found himself gripping Cole's wrist in one hand, chin in another, the boy was arching up off the bed so hard he needed an anchor. And he needed to keep himself from ravaging him. "How's that feel?"

"Coming..." Cole spoke, voice distant, breath still dangerously unsteady.

"What? After only a li--"

"Up the stairs, soon to arrive, she hears _you_ , not me. He's started without me, I see." And Bull realized what he meant.

The door flew open, and their Inquisitor stepped in, the weight of a day's worth of saving the world falling off her shoulders, only to be replaced with utter shock when she turned toward the bed.

The door swung shut in silence as the three parties stared.

Bull would prove he was the bravest. "Heeeey, Boss. I was--"

"No explanation necessary **at all** ," she interrupted, finding her way to the closest seat and leaning forward, "Please continue."

Bull glanced back down at Cole, who was eagerly sucking at his swollen lip. "She _likes_ this."

_This is shaping up to be the best night I've ever had._

"Always knew you were a kinky one Boss..." Bull gave her his best one-eye wink, and... promptly gave one of Cole's nipples a flick.


End file.
